CN doesn't have good answers
To the editor: When told that the people have no bread, Marie Antoinette replied, "Let them eat cake."
While the Canadian National Railroad served no cake at the Makray public hearing on Jan. 9, it did dish out the same reply. I had spent a significant amount of time at the CNR table and listened attentively both to questions posed by the public and responses by CNR's staff. Ordinary citizens who had worked their entire lives to make a decent and safe home for themselves and their children had extremely legitimate concerns and queries that they wanted CNR to address and answer.
Yet, I was always waiting for answers. Everything that I heard seemed to be very scripted and come from a pot of predetermined statements, most of which really did not provide any noteworthy content or degree of specificity.
The one reply which totally dumbfounded me was in response to a citizen's angst about how CNR's heavy train schedule would affect their safety in event of a fire, accident, or other personal emergencies. We all know that because the EJ&E splits Barrington in half and because the village's facilities are on opposite sides of the tracks, this is an extremely valid concern to all.
CNR's retort was to (tell us to) build a new hospital, fire station and police station so that we have one on each side of the tracks.
This must be one of their ad hoc replies, or was it? How cavalier? Does a foreign corporation that muscles its way in and expects full STB approval for its proposal also expect the Barrington area to flip the total bill to alleviate the massive problems that it solely will cause?
I suppose this CNR comment says it all. CNR wants all the benefits and profits, but refuses to share in the responsibilities and costs.
The STB states that the communities that are blindsided by this proposal need to work with CNR to mutually resolve the issues and problems at hand. Yet, how can they effectively do so when CNR is itself not actively acting as a responsible corporate citizen and doing the same?
Shame on you, Marie!
Klaus Ittner
Barrington